Quito, October 23, 2026 (V7N) – Corrections officials in Ecuador confirmed Thursday that eight people were killed and ten others injured during riots at two prisons, the latest episode of lethal violence to strike the country's overcrowded penal system.
Four inmates died at the Cotopaxi penitentiary, while another four were killed at the Pichincha prison, according to corrections officials.
The bloodshed adds to a grim toll: more than 500 inmates have been killed in Ecuador's prisons since 2021, underscoring the scale of the crisis confronting the country's correctional system.
While some facilities are under military control, drug-trafficking gangs continue to challenge authorities from inside prison walls, ordering murders and extortion from behind bars, officials say.
Authorities said those responsible for Thursday's riots have been identified and will be transferred to El Encuentro, a maximum security prison built by the government of President Daniel Noboa to hold the country's most wanted criminals.
The transfer is intended to isolate ringleaders and disrupt gang operations, though officials did not specify how many inmates would be moved or when the transfers would take place. The government has yet to announce further measures to address overcrowding and gang influence in the prison system, with security analysts warning that without broader reforms, violence is likely to persist.
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